Stana Katic

“When I was growing up, my parents encouraged me to pick a path that was safe and sane.” - Stana Katic

Stana Katic is an up-and-coming Canadian actress who got her start with bit parts on TV shows like CSI: Miami, Heroes and The Shield. She has also made a name for herself by offering up scene-stealing work in such films as 2007’s Feast of Love and 2008’s The Spirit. She can currently be seen in a starring role opposite Nathan Fillion on the ABC series Castle, as well as alongside Kelly Hu and Dominique Swain in the forthcoming thriller Stiletto.

SEX APPEAL

It’s far from surprising to learn that Stana Katic spent some time working as a model in the years before she made it as an actress. She possesses precisely the sort of svelte figure that one generally associates with the fashion industry. It’s also worth noting, however, that Stana Katic has never used her admittedly stunning looks as a means of advancing within the industry, with her willingness to take on roles of a distinctly less than glamorous nature certainly standing as indelible proof of her commitment to her craft. With her profile increasing on a weekly basis, thanks to Castle’s surprise success, Stana Katic is surely destined to join such familiar faces as Sarah Polley, Elisha Cuthbert and Rachel McAdams as the next superstar to emerge from the Great White North.

SUCCESS

Stana Katic has racked up an impressive resume of over two dozen credits since kicking off her career just six short years ago, and it’s not surprising to note that she’s earned the reputation of the “next big thing” within Hollywood circles. Having worked with such A-listers as Kiefer Sutherland, Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson, Stana Katic has certainly come a long way since struggling to make ends meet by taking on thankless roles in obscure stage productions. Although she has yet to receive any awards or kudos for her various performances, Stana Katic’s charismatic work on Castle has undoubtedly set her on the path to widespread critical acclaim -- with television reviewer Brian Tallerico singling out Stana Katic’s “undeniable chemistry” with Nathan Fillion as a highlight within the series.

Stana Katic Biography

Stana Jacqueline Katic was born on April 26, 1978, in Hamilton, Ontario. The daughter of Croatian parents, Stana Katic and her family moved to the United States when she was still a young girl and settled in the small community of Aurora, Illinois. After graduating near the top of her class at West Aurora Senior High School in 1996, Stana Katic decided to relocate back to Canada after she was accepted into the University of Toronto (where she studied international law and biology).

stana katic gets bit by the acting bug

It was around that time that Stana Katic inadvertently stumbled into the world of performance, after a friend asked her to take on a starring role in an obscure 1999 indie short, entitled Acid Freaks. Bitten by the acting bug, Stana Katic enrolled in Chicago’s DePaul University’s prestigious Theatre School (which ranks John C. Reilly, Judy Greer and Gillian Anderson among its alumni) and subsequently began auditioning for a variety of locally shot productions.

After appearing in a number of stage plays (including Romeo & Juliet, The Seagull and Richard III), Stana Katic made her cinematic debut with a bit part in 2003’s gangster drama Shut-Eye. 2004 proved to be her break-out year, however, as the struggling actress booked a series of guest appearances on such well-regarded shows as Alias, JAG and The Shield. Although she followed that up with roles in both movies (2005’s Pit Fighter and 2006’s Truth About Kerry) and TV (The Closer and ER), Stana Katic’s turn as terrorist sympathizer Collette Stenger on 24’s fifth season instantly ratcheted up her visibility within the Hollywood community.

stana katic in quantum of solace

Stana Katic’s reputation as a promising up-and-comer paved the way for appearances within a succession of increasingly high-profile projects, including a small but pivotal role alongside Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear and Selma Blair in the 2007 drama Feast of Love. And although she continued to dabble within the world of film -- most notably with a brief appearance opposite Daniel Craig in 2008’s Quantum of Solace -- Stana Katic primarily pursued opportunities on the small screen as a means of furthering her career.

In addition to her one-off guest spots on programs like Brothers & Sisters and The Unit, Stana Katic also made a few stabs at starting on a show from its inception -- with her starring role opposite Sean Bean in the 2006 pilot Faceless certainly the most notable example of this. Though directed by Smokin’ Aces filmmaker Joe Carnahan, Faceless was relegated to the network scrap heap alongside Stana Katic’s other would-be series (including a 2007 thriller from 24 creator Robert Cochran, entitled Company Man).

stana katic in stiletto

Stana Katic’s luck changed in 2009 when she was cast opposite Nathan Fillion in the quirky ABC detective show Castle, in which she plays a hard-nosed cop who is reluctantly paired up with best-selling author Richard Castle (Fillion). Though the series hasn’t received a second-season pickup yet, Stana Katic remains busy with other projects, including an upcoming revenge thriller entitled Stiletto and a role alongside Natasha Henstridge in the Canadian mini-series Would Be Kings.